Clearly, Howell and Whitaker share a bit more in common than a haircut and a rural background. Below, Howell explains how Whitaker’s onscreen evolution mirrors his experience on set, Whitaker’s complicated relationship with Dr. Robby, and why he wants the young doctor to have more screen time with Dr. Abbott. Honestly, who wouldn’t?
Glamour: What’s your interpretation of the relationship between Whitaker and Amy, the widow from season one? It seems everyone in the ED is making the assumption it’s romantic, but Whitaker hasn’t specified.
Gerran Howell: If I’m making it concrete, the majority of it is Whitaker having an opportunity to be useful more than anything. He’s offered to come help out on a farm and I think that is right up his alley. I think he’s just like, wow, I can be useful here. I can maybe offset a little bit of the guilt I feel from my first shift. I also think there’s an element of homesickness there and an opportunity to feel a bit more at home in a family environment. But saying that, there has to be a hint of romance there, for him to make that decision. I think maybe there’s the potential for something romantic. But I don’t think he went into it for romance.
One of the reasons I ask is because you and Isa Briones have shared your head-canon that Whitaker spiced up his look from season one after going to a gay bar with Dr. Santos. I was just wondering if he went there as a wingman for Santos, or if you viewed Whitaker’s own sexuality as more fluid?
Oh, woof. I think Santos invited him out. I don’t think he expected to be at a gay bar, but then found himself as a wingman. I think that’s yet to be explored, if I can be vague.
Getting into Whitaker’s confrontation with Langdon this week, I was wondering if Whitaker knows about Langdon stealing drugs because Santos keeps implying that no one knows about that but her and Robby.
I think he knows everything. I think he’s had his ear talked off, you know? I think she’s fully vented all of her feelings about that incident at Whitaker. When Langdon returns, Whitaker is probably one of the only people in there who really knows how much his presence is affecting Santos emotionally. So he knows how much Langdon really messed up her day.
I think he’s heard it all but I think he’s got more empathy for Langdon’s situation. I think he believes Langdon can have redemption in this situation, 100%, and I don’t think there’s any personal beef.
Their confrontation in the kitchen didn’t feel like it was on behalf of Santos but really about Whitaker sticking up for himself in the moment. How did you and Patrick interpret the scene and talk it through together?
We tried to make all the scenes we’d had before that as awkward as possible. So getting to that scene, we’re just showing each other where we stand. Langdon knows that [Whitaker and Santos] have been living together, so he probably assumes that Whitaker is completely judging him—he’s in a heightened sense of paranoia that everyone knows. When we talked about it, it was just about finding neutral ground that we can carry on. I think Whitaker respects Langdon, so it was about getting back to base-level with each other.
But you do have that moment where you’re talking about the Gilligan’s Island characters and it feels a bit like you’re staking a claim and saying, don’t treat me like this little sidekick. First of all, I want to know which Gilligan’s Island character you think Whitaker would be?
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